Hi everyone! I'm new to this type of fan....I love the retro 50's. I just picked up this Kenmore Automatic Model Model #336 80972. I can't find a thing on this unit. Is there a database of Kenmore models? It has a Fan Speed knob as well as a Thermostat knob. It's in my favorite color!

Do any of you have any familiarity with this unit?

Thanks for viewing and thanks for any help you can offer. Have a great day!

I had a fan very similar to that except mine was cream colored and didn't have the thermostat feature, but that fan is mid to late 1950s and was more than likely made by Vernco and as was already pointed out this fan will outlast anything built today if properly lubricated, in fact it might benefit from a good oiling right now, the oil ports on this fan should be at the 12 o'clock position on both the front and back of the motor, and to oil it you will need to used 3-in-1 oil in the blue can (specially formulated oil for small electric motors like in fans and air compressors) or Zoom! Spout Turbine Oil, both of which are available at your local Ace Hardware and TruValue Hardware Stores and Lowes and Menards and Home Depot carries it as well.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for your help! It is a HEAVY unit, I'm very impressed with how well built it is. It reminds me of a vintage car, study, beautiful and well styled. It is extremely quiet. I will oil it as suggested. I have a couple smaller table top vintage fans, but this one beats them both. I'll research Vernco and see if I can dig up something. I'm one proud owner now!

Duane, it's interesting that you say that the fan was made by Signal because the fan I had like this was from the same time period and was definitely NOT a Signal fan it had Vernco eblazened on the motor tag and NOT Signal, unless Signal used Vernco Motors in their fans but last I checked Signal made their own motors.

Levi Mevis wrote: Duane, it's interesting that you say that the fan was made by Signal because the fan I had like this was from the same time period and was definitely NOT a Signal fan it had Vernco eblazened on the motor tag and NOT Signal, unless Signal used Vernco Motors in their fans but last I checked Signal made their own motors.

Vernco bought out Signal in 1964. The serial number would likely tell me. I've also got a Sears box fan made by Vernco.

So then it seems my fan may have actually been made post 1964 then which by the way I don't even have that fan anymore, as I sold it to a friend who needed a fan for their bedroom.

Well here's a picture of the motor tag from the fan I had, it does not appear that it had a serial no. stamped on it, but I believe it was indeed made by Vernco as I was able to find the thread I started here about it and Tom Zapf here said it was indeed a Vernco fan that I had, and that it was made in the early 1960s and not the 1950s like I though it was originally.

If the OP's fan was made by Signal and was thermostatically controlled and what not, I wonder if it was the Sears/Kenmore version of the Signal Fan shown below that is at my church.